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Not ready to wean my 11 month old!!!

Hi, I'm new here and looking for any advice you can offer.

My son is 11 months old and is my third nursling. I nursed my two daughters until they were 18 & 22 months, and experienced nursing strikes with them as well, but nothing like this little guy. He is teething, has an ear infection (which has become chronic and he will likely have tubes put in next week), this week I changed the time I was coming to feed him at daycare, on Thursday I cried out because of a hard bite that he gave me, and I’m pretty sure that my menses is returning. He does take bottles, but does not get them on a regular basis since I am able to go feed him when he is at daycare. He has never taken a pacifier ~ I have always been the pacifier.

He wasn’t nursing for more than 1 minute at a time on Tuesday or Wednesday, and he has been refusing to go to the breast at all since Thursday, when I cried out with the bite. I am worried because there are SO many things going on with him…when I went through strikes with my daughters it was just teething and they resolved easily in a day or two… This little guy is just inconsolable…he just cries and cries any time we get near nursing.

I have tried nursing him while he is asleep and have tried lots of cuddling and skin-to-skin contact. We used to nurse in bed several times a day, and he now becomes very upset when I take him to the bed or to our “nursing chair”. I have tried to give him expressed milk in a cup and he just cried inconsolably. I was able to give him about an ounce this morning with a medicine dropper. I have been giving him water with a cup which he takes easily, but have not been giving him bottles.

He is very likely my last baby and I really am not ready for him to wean. Can you think of other things that I can try? How many more days should I keep offering him my breast before I give up? Should I continue to offer it to him in our usual places, or try new places/positions?

I appreciate any advice you can offer. It's just breaking my heart to think that he's done nursing already!!

Re: Not ready to wean my 11 month old!!!

Hi,
This is a stressful time for you! Your little guy is going through a lot and so are you.
You're on the right track with what you’ve tried so far. Here are some links to FAQ and articles that might help, too.http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/strike.htmlhttp://www.lalecheleague.org/NB/NBstrikes.html
Nursing strikes can vary in length, as you have experienced. My little guy went on strike at 11 months for 5 days due to an illness. It was so stressful! I wanted answers and solutions (as in “when will this end!?”) but I ended up having to just wait it out and keep trying anything I could think of. He eventually did get better and resumed nursing just fine.
Hang in there and keep us posted, OK?

Re: Not ready to wean my 11 month old!!!

I agree with Mary...this sounds like a typical nursing strike. A baby refusing to breastfeed under 12 months is not likely to be weaning themselves. More likely is the nursing strike. Here is another link you might be interested in:

Re: Not ready to wean my 11 month old!!!

I bet it is those ears! When my ds has an ear infection, especially a bad one like your wee one. He does not like to nurse, it hurts to suck with all of that pain and pressure. Stay the course, I bet he will come back, you are a great mom for trying so hard! Please keep us updated!